TweetDeck beta for Android now available for download

TweetDeck has officially launched a public beta version of its new Android app. TweetDeck is a tool that lets you keep up with multiple social networking accounts at the same time. You can link your Facebook, Foursquare, Google Buzz and Twitter accounts to TweetDeck for Android, and one thing that sets it apart from most third party Twitter apps is that it supports multiple Twitter accounts.

An early build of the software leaked unofficially yesterday, but the version that you can download today direct from TweetDeck is much more polished. For one thing, it has an “Accounts” button that lets you go back to the accounts screen any time you want to add or delete a Twitter, Facebook, or other account. The old build was somewhat buggy and only let you adjust your accounts the first time you logged in.

TweetDeck also has clients for desktop computers, the iPhone, and iPad. And one of the defining characteristics of TweetDeck is the ability to display multiple columns of data, with information such as updates from your contacts, messages directed at you, and custom searches. The TweetDeck Android app keeps this column paradigm — but rather than trying to display all the content on screen at the same time, you can swipe the screen to the left or right to switch between columns.

Different social networks are color coded so that, for instance, Facebook messages have a blue background and Twitter messages have a gray backaground. This makes them easy to tell apart at a glance.

TweetDeck lets you update your status on various social networks and interact with messages from your contacts. For instance, on Twitter you can reply, retweet, or favorite items. When you’re using Foursquare, you can check in, leave a tip, or open a map. Facebook lets you reply to comments or hit the Like button.

You need to register for a TweetDeck account to try out the beta. Once you fill out the form, TweetDeck should send you a download link in a few minutes.